Presents for yearlings

[Leap]

So many things are falling in and out of favour here from one day to the next, I think a good range just keeps them busy. We keep little toy baskets in her room and the dressing room up the stairs, but to this day her most consistently fascinating item is when the hoover is left out We also keep a spare changing mat in the main bathroom but always keep that door shut, and today she got hold of it and was off her face with happiness inventing ways to play with it for ages. They are such little weirdos

Our main presents from us were the Baby Einstein piano and the little rabbit train from Le Toy Van, but both have only the occasional spotlights of interest so far as I think she still needs to grow into them. The only thing I would really recommend you already have - the walker is such a massive hit as she goes through different stages of learning.

Piano: https://www.johnlewis.com/baby-einstein ... o/p3699092
She does love to bang the keys and play the demo on this already, and it’s a good middle ground between wooden toys and plastic tat.

Bunny train: https://letoyvan.com/products/bunny-train
Mostly munched so far, but until it’s in favour it’s always an immediate hit with cousins/older kids.

[Kenickie]

I'm very tempted by a pull along ninky nonk although I think we have far too much already now. Maybe Christmas. I've also earmarked the piano.

Soft play stuff sounds good.

It's funny you say about the changing mat as we went to my mum's and she had loads of my old toys out. They loved the Duplo but the biggest hit was an empty wastepaper basket.

When people say a little house thing do they mean like this?

[F'Artiste]

I meant this (it took me such a long time to remember what it was called) - it’s good for travel and has lots of different buttons/switches to play with.

[Kenickie]

Oh that looks good!

[Kenickie]

Annoyingly it looks like that house has been discontinued, but I think I've found one second hand now which can be a Christmas present. And the same person was selling the postbox which has been recommended by Lora so I'm getting that too.

We didn't have grandparents upstaging at all. P's mum bought them a shape sorter and some books, and my mum got them some Fisher Price little people stuff - a school and a farm which they're totally fascinated by. I got them some extra little people superhero figures which obviously mean nothing to them but I like.

We also got given some backpack reins which look to be very useful, a tool kit and peg hammering thing and some pop up pegs, all of which have been enjoyed.

I got them a load of balls to put in their baby gym which has now turned into a ball pit, which they absolutely love, a seesaw and a slide (although I've put the slide away for now so it might turn into a Christmas present), a push along ride on thing, and a Megabloks table and blocks -they haven't done much stacking yet but they seem to like pulling it apart. Oh, and a wooden activity cube thing and a Fisher Price little people castle thing, some cars and I ended up with two planes as one was thrown in for free with the cars. Tim likes to play with both planes at once.

Oh and the teapot set that was suggested on this thread.

I've found it's a bit hard not to go mad with getting stuff for two at once! their swingset was supposed to be their main present so everything else should have been small really which I didn't manage to stick to.

I already have some more little people stuff earmarked for Christmas, and I've got some of the other suggestions from this thread on my list to look out for (Mozart cube, bunny train or animal train, Einstein piano, Wow toys etc). Thanks for the suggestions, it's been really great to have specific things to look out for.

I'm wondering about a mini trampoline for Christmas. They say 12 months plus and they like to hold on to the side of their cot at the moment and kind of bounce on the mattress but I'm wondering if they'll be able to use it if they're not walking by then?

[Glint]

They are good presents Ken.

I just went and checked and we got S a mini trampoline for Christmas when he'd turned 2. It was possibly one of the best toys ever on a cost and sturdiness basis. Although he could move it bouncing aggressively.

[Rhodonite]

It's so hard not to go over the top with presents! I *think* we've managed to control ourselves for R's birthday!

Knocking over blocks is also a favourite here. I used to challenge myself, to see how big a tower I could build before J would spot it and knock it over!

I can't quite remember if J was 1 or 2 when he got his trampoline, but he was still playing on it over the summer at 5, so he's got a lot of use out of it.

[Kenickie]

That's reassuring about the blocks. Because they say from 1 year I was imagining that maybe all the other babies are cracking on with intricate replicas of stately homes whilst my two pull things apart. ;)

Good to know that a trampoline has longevity too!

[Cerise]

Not sure my children bothered much with building until well over two! J, in particular, was a destroyer not a creator for a very long time.

[Kleio]

The fun you will have if one chooses to be a builder and the other a destroyer.

[Kenickie]

I fully expect that to happen.

[Kenickie]

They are just beginning to stack blocks and Topsy is definitely more interested in building and Tim in destroying.

Just wanted to say thanks again for the suggestions here as I used some of them for Christmas. The little Leapfrog house and the postbox have gone down a total storm. They've also really got into their tea set and love pouring tea and pretending to drink, which is bizarre as they've never seen me do it for real. They also weirdly love pretending things are phones and holding them up to their ears, which again is odd as they've only ever seen us do actual phonecalls just holding our mobiles in front of us. I think we did some play acting with them a few times and they've picked it up from that. So not really prepared for 21st century life.

They have a mini trampoline now. They like to stand up and hold onto the handle and eat it, but if they want to bounce they only do it sitting down. They are definitely a bit dim in some respects.

[Smunder Woman]

Half of parenting involves wondering how you produced such dim children, in my experience

[Morganna]

When I saw the video on fb (the one of them with their walkers) I was thinking how many skills it took to manoeuvre them over obstacles whilst walking and balancing and generally being gorgeous

I think when you see babies every day you miss the enormity of their development, as it sneaks up on you. It’s a bit like not noticing the creeping awfulness of teenage until it’s undeniably there - right in front of you

[Kenickie]

that's very true!

They are learning and working things out all the time, but the stuff they just don't get amuses me. ;) I've even demonstrated bouncing, and they try and copy but seem to think it only involves moving their arms.